Sparkle Love Episode 12 Recap
> Sparkle Love Recap
After Mai Sichong and Mei Weiwei separated from their embrace, Mei Weiwei confronted Mai Sichong about his medical report. He admitted he had taken it to conceal his knee injury from the school and the provincial team, fearing they would drop him. Despite his illness, Mei Weiwei insisted they return the report immediately.
When Mai Sichong questioned how to get into the locked archive room without Ding Yi’s key, Mei Weiwei skillfully opened the faulty door, inadvertently revealing her prior visit. Mai Sichong, whose suspicion of her earlier presence was confirmed, expressed relief that it was she who discovered his secret. Mei Weiwei, puzzled by Mai Sichong’s lack of inquiry into why she had followed him, asked him about it.
Mai Sichong explained that since she had trusted him with her secret about having electricity, he, in turn, chose to trust her. He suggested they put the entire matter behind them. The next day, the class monitor announced the upcoming school sports day and the 4"100m mixed relay. Mei Weiwei declined to participate. Later, she approached Lin Baihui, asking him to provide extra lessons on knee rehabilitation, particularly focusing on the meniscus.
Lin Baihui agreed and began teaching her about key acupoints like Weizhong, Weiyang, Chengjiang, and Shaoshong, which are beneficial for knee recovery. Li Daixi noticed Mei Weiwei’s intense new focus on rehabilitation and teased Lin Baihui about his "brainwashing" influence. Mei Weiwei clarified that she found learning massage appealing, inspired by Lin Baihui's accomplishments, despite considering a different career path. Li Yuxin defended the promising future of the rehabilitation major.
Li Daixi then shared her ambition to pursue sports journalism, while Jun Jun mentioned she would likely follow her parents' arrangements. Mei Weiwei, meanwhile, dedicated herself to studying, reading late into the night. Later, at a convenience store, Mei Weiwei noticed Mai Sichong's dark circles and expressed concern. She then recounted her late-night studies on knee rehabilitation and jokingly claimed to be learning acupuncture.
She admitted her current skills were insufficient but suggested Lin Baihui, who comes from a "family of rehabilitators," could help. Mai Sichong, however, worried that Lin Baihui might discover his injury during a massage, prompting Mei Weiwei to agree with his concern. Their conversation was interrupted by an urgent phone call from Ding Yi to Mai Sichong, warning him that "things went wrong." Meanwhile, Xia Rui met Jun Jun and gave her a Heshiki toy.
Shortly after, Mai Sichong's worried mother arrived, asking Jun Jun for help to find Mai Sichong, as he had missed an appointment with Jun Jun's mother and was not answering his phone. Xia Rui informed them that Ding Yi mentioned Mai Sichong was in the office, and they all headed there. Mai Sichong instructed Mei Weiwei to wait outside before he entered the office alone.
Inside, Ms. Meiling confronted him about hiding his medical reports, explaining the school had given him a chance to explain by not checking surveillance. Mai Sichong confessed to his wrongdoing but pleaded that his injury not be publicly disclosed during his punishment. Ms. Meiling, disappointed, demanded a full account of the events, warning of serious disciplinary action. Outside, Mai Sichong's mother, along with Ding Yi, Mei Weiwei, Xia Rui, and Jun Jun, gathered.
His mother, anxious, quickly learned from Mai Sichong that disciplinary action was unavoidable. Ding Yi then questioned Mai Sichong about using his key to hide the report. Mai Sichong's mother intervened, insisting they go to the hospital for his long-scheduled check-up. She invited Mei Weiwei to accompany them, believing Mai Sichong would feel more secure with her present. Jun Jun silently watched Mai Sichong and Mei Weiwei leave together, appearing dejected, a sight Xia Rui noticed.
Later, in the dorm, Xia Rui saw a gift from Jun Jun intended for Mai Sichong, inscribed with a girl's shy thoughts. This sight filled Xia Rui with frustration, which he silently endured. At the examination room, Mai Sichong reluctantly underwent treatment, much to his mother's insistence, who even took photos for his father. The doctor delivered a grim assessment, stating Mai Sichong's condition was "not positive," and returning to his pre-injury performance level would be challenging.
Mai Sichong, already aware of the severity, dismissed the doctor’s attempts at comfort. Outside, Mei Weiwei spoke with Mai Sichong’s mother, who complained about his past rebellious acts, including skipping a specialist appointment to attend a Xunyang fan event. Mei Weiwei realized that many of Mai Sichong's seemingly rebellious actions were, in fact, attempts to protect her.
Mai Sichong's mother expressed deep concern for her son, who had spent his life in the swimming pool, fearing he might not be able to continue as an athlete. Drawing on her rehabilitation studies and Lin Baihui’s insights, Mei Weiwei reassured her that knee injuries could heal with proper rehabilitation. Mai Sichong's mother then entrusted Mei Weiwei with the responsibility of ensuring Mai Sichong stayed on track for the upcoming provincial team recruitment.
After Mai Sichong's mother departed with final instructions to avoid overtraining and drink his nutrient solutions, Mei Weiwei and Mai Sichong returned to school. Mei Weiwei questioned his absence from the hospital, asking if he had skipped it to help her at Peng Pai's company. He confirmed it, downplaying the incident as already resolved. She then asked why her electric ability no longer affected him, but he chose to keep it a secret.
When Mei Weiwei inquired about his future plans, Mai Sichong firmly declared his unwavering commitment to swimming. The next day, Mai Sichong’s disciplinary notice was posted, prompting widespread student gossip about his theft of the medical report and his knee injury, and speculating that the provincial team might drop him. Mei Weiwei was visibly upset by the discussions. Peng Pai found her and asked about Mai Sichong's leg.
He explained that his company’s decision to sign Mai Sichong would likely depend on whether he participated in the provincial team selection, as failure could significantly reduce his market value. Peng Pai advised Mei Weiwei to urge Mai Sichong to carefully consider his options within the remaining month.
Realizing her own massage skills were years away from being effective, Mei Weiwei sought out Lin Baihui, who confirmed it would take at least three years to master massage, citing his own extensive training. Desperate to help Mai Sichong sooner, Mei Weiwei asked Lin Baihui to transfer to Mai Sichong’s dorm to provide rehabilitation massages. Lin Baihui eagerly agreed, seeing it as an excellent opportunity for his new massage project.
In return, he asked Mei Weiwei to join them for the upcoming track and field competition, a request she accepted. During swimming practice, Mai Sichong's knee injury flared up, causing him intense pain. His coach, Ms. Peipei, confronted him, revealing that provincial Coach Li had called, expressing the team's growing distrust. Ms. Peipei scolded Mai Sichong for his lack of trust and transparency, warning that his secretive behavior jeopardized his participation in the competition.
She criticized him for being a "coward" and "escaping" from his problems. Amidst his physical and emotional turmoil, Mai Sichong received a message from Peng Pai. Peng Pai reassured him that the sports agency would still sign him and offered an increased contract value if he forewent the provincial team selection and signed directly. Peng Pai urged Mai Sichong to thoughtfully consider his options, reminding him that it was "his own life." Holding a crumpled medical report that seemed to declare his failure, Mai Sichong walked away, burdened by the difficult choice ahead and the uncertain future of his swimming career.
